Germany: BND Story Screws Schroeder

News 24 ^ | 1 Feb 03 | News 24

[pepsionice]

Iraq has mobile labs

Berlin - Germany's secret service has information that Iraq is developing weapons in mobile laboratories disguised as ordinary goods vehicles, a magazine said on Saturday.

Focus weekly said opposition MPs were urging the government to publish the information or at least make it available to fellow members on the United Nations Security Council who may be required to vote soon on possible military action against Iraq.

Focus said Germany's BND intelligence service informed members of the parliamentary commission on foreign affairs about the mobile laboratories in November. Some parts for the laboratories came from suppliers in Germany, the BND said.

Committee member Andreas Schockenhoff, deputy spokesperson on foreign affairs for the opposition Christian Democratic Union, confirmed that the BND had briefed the committee, but said he could not give details as members were sworn to secrecy.

But he added: "If there is relevant information for the weapons inspectors then the government should inform the public and Germany's partners."

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder strongly opposes war and a deep rift has opened up between Germany, which has a temporary Security Council seat, and permanent member the United States.

The United States accuses Iraq of amassing weapons of mass destruction and is already sending troops to the Gulf in readiness for war. Schroeder says UN inspectors must be allowed to complete their search for weapons before the Security Council makes a final assessment.

The BND had also told German MPs that Baghdad had bought some components of the mobile laboratories from Germany, Focus reported. Iraq had also been inquiring in Germany about equipment for possible use in missiles.

No one at the BND was available for comment on Saturday.

A German businessman was sentenced to five years and three months in prison on Friday for exporting weapons material to Iraq in 1999 in circumvention of a United Nations embargo.

The court in southwestern Mannheim said 59-year-old defendant Bernd Schompeter and co-defendant Willi Ribbeck were guilty of exporting drilling equipment to Iraq that can be used to make artillery gun barrels. Ribbeck was given a suspended sentence.

[Servant of the Nine]

While almost 10 days old, and the government still refuses to acknowledge that the report exists...they haven't denied it either. It will stain their reputation badly if Iraq has the weapons and they use them.

There was a prosecution of a couple of businesmen, but if we capture the paperwork in Iraq there could be a prosecution of Shroeder and his cronies for War Crimes in the World Court at The Hague. That could put him in a cell next to Slobodan Milosovich.

And that is why he doesn't want a war.

So9

[Elenya]

I think both Germany and France are sitting on intel that would prove Saddam needs killin'

I have no problem believing the Germans and the French were/are involved in shady deals, but my question is:
Wouldn't the CIA know about it, and wouldn't it be the perfect blackmail opportunity for GWB? Follow us or we'll expose you to the world community? I must be missing something.